Tax Time Tricks From Thieves

March 05, 2018CrainMedia

With tax season in full swing, scammers are ramping up efforts to steal data from tax professionals and scam their clients. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued an identity theft warning indicating that thieves hack into a tax professional’s files, steal sensitive client information and file a tax return in that person’s name. While the money may go to your personal account – reports indicate some amounts are as much as $20,000 – the scammer has plans to impersonate the IRS and collect that money later.

“This scam is heating up as more Arkansans file their taxes,” said Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. “Scammers gain access to a tax preparer’s data and file fraudulent tax returns. The thieves then pose as the IRS and threaten legal action if the money is not turned over to them immediately, usually in the form of a wire transfer or pre-paid card.” MORE